Urostomy device

ABSTRACT

A valve device particularly useful in combination with a urostomy bag for collecting and holding urine discharged by a patient. The term &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;urostomy&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; as used herein refers to various urinary diversion surgical procedures, such as ureterostomy and ileal bladder operations in which an artificial opening is created for discharge of urine from a patient who is not able to pass urine in the normal manner. In its preferred form, the valve device comprises a tube-like frustoconical section having one end sealingly surrounding the inlet for the liquid and the other end closed by a cover secured to the end at spaced points. The material of the cover and of the tube-like section is flexible so that liquid may pass between the spaced points of connection of the cover to the tube-like section, with the flexibility of the material operating as a flap valve to prevent backflow of liquid. It is contemplated that the cover be secured to the tube-like section at spaced points around the 360* circumference of the cover so as to present an outlet regardless of the posture of the patient.

United States Patent 1 1 1111 3,822,704 Nolan July 9, 1974 UROSTOMY DEVICE [75] Inventor: John L. Nolan, Glenview, Ill. [57] ABSTRACT A valve device particularly useful in combination with [73] Aslgnee' Holllster Incorporated Chicago a urostorny bag for collecting and holding urine dis- Filed! 1972 charged by a patient. The term urostomy as used 21 A L N 3 herein refers to various urinary diversion surgical pro- 1 PP 0 08,146 cedures, such as ureterostomy and deal bladder operations in which an artificial opening is created for dis- [52] US. Cl. 128/283 harge of urine from a patient who is not able to pass [51] Int. Cl. Atilf 5/44 urine in the normal manner, in its preferred form, the Field of Search l28/DIG. 24, 2 F, valve device comprises a tube-like frustoconical secl28/294, 295 tion having one end sealingly surrounding the inlet for the liquid and the other end closed by a cover secured [56] References C ted to the end at spaced points. The material of the cover UNITED STATES PATENTS and of the tube-like section is flexible so that liquid 2 496 175 1/1950 Perry 128 283 may pass between the Spaced Points of Connection of 2:920:625 1/1960 Green 128/283 the Cover to the tube-like Section, with the flexibility 3,618,606 11/1971 Brown et al. 128/283 of the material operating as a flap valve to prevent backflow of liquid. It is contemplated that the cover FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS be secured to the tube-like section at spaced points 477,393 10/1951 Canada 128/283 around the 3 0 Circumference of the cover so as to Primary ExaminerCharles F. Rosenbaum Attorney, Agent, or Firm--Hofgren, Wegner, Allen, Stellman & McCord present an outlet regardless of the posture of the patient.

2 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures uRosToMY DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A number of forms of surgical procedure result in a physical condition where the exit from the kidneys, ureters, or bladder is directly through the abdominal wall of the patient. In such circumstances the patient has no voluntary control over the flow of urine and hence means must be provided to store or discharge the liquid. One method previously practiced has been to provide what is known as a urostomy bag having an inlet opening to receive the opening from the patients body, with the bag being sealed to the skin of the patient around the opening and thus urine flowing therefrom enters and is retained in the bag.

It is obvious that under such conditions it is desirable to provide some means for storing the urine in an'area of the bag spaced from the area surrounding the discharge opening from the patient so as not to constantly bathe the latter in discharged urine. Thus, attempts have been made in the past to use a valve of some sort through which the urine could flow into a remote section of the bag to be stored therein. However, since valves of this nature depend upon gravity for proper flow and since the patient is not always in an upright position, such attempts have never been fully successful.

Because the urostomy bag is to be worn upon the patients body and the patient may sometimes be standing, walking, and at other times lying down, and in the latter position may be lying on one or the other side, it is of course necessary to provide a structure which will function in the manner described above regardless of body position. Heretofore, this has presented an extremely difficult problem and a fully satisfactory solution to the problem has not been forthcoming.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION According to the present invention, there is provided a valving system particularly useful in combination with the urostomy bag. The valve of the present invention permits urine exiting from the body of a patient to pass into the storage area of the urostomy bag regardless of the attitude of the patient. Thus, urine discharged by the patient may pass through the valve regardless of the position of the wearer, and thus keep the body opening through which the urine has been discharged out of contact with previously discharged fluid.

The foregoing advantages are accomplished by the provision of a urostomy bag having an opening therein to surround the discharge opening in the patients body, with the opening in the bag being in communication with a tube-like member preferably in the form of a frustoconical section, with one end of the section being secured in sealed relationship around the opening in the bag, with the other end being closed by a cover secured to the section at points spaced 360 around said other end of the frustoconical section. Both the frustoconical section and the cover are made of flexible material, for example a plastic sheet material, and thus the spaces between the points where the two are sealed together operate as one-way flap valves. Because the spaces between the points are located in a 360 area around the end of the frustoconical section, the valves function regardless of the attitude of the patient.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational view showing the device of the present invention secured on the body of a patient;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a urostomy bag embodying the valving system of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the valve device per se of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view taken along line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 55 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 66 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view exploded in form showing the various parts fonning the apparatus of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a urostomy device 10 comprising a bag 11 secured to a retaining member 12 with the retaining member being provided with two integral wings 13 and 14 to which a belt 15 may be secured for the purpose of holding the device in place on the body of a patient. Retaining member 12 is of relatively stiff plastic material capable of retaining its shape under the stress imposed by the belt. Although the illustrated embodiment shows an appliance which is held in position on the patient by the use of a relatively stiff retaining member and a belt, it is understood that the appliance can be provided with means for holding it in place adhesively, without a belt, and the scope of this invention thus is not limited to a belt-held appliance.

The urostomy bag 11 includes an inner wall 17 having an orifice 18 therein, the edges of which are secured to a flat area 19 surrounding an opening 20in the retaining member 12 with the orifice serving as an inlet from the discharge opening in the body of a patient to the bag. The bag includes an outer wall 22 being secured along its edges 23 to the edge of the inner wall to provide a closed space for the receipt and storage of liquid. The bag 1 l is provided with a manually operable valve 24 at the lower end which may periodically be opened to drain the liquid stored in the bag.

A sealing member 25 is secured to the flat area 26 on the outer face of the retaining member 12 and has an adhesive face 27 which can be exposed by peeling off a cover sheet 28 so that the bag adheres to the skin of the patient when placed in position on the body.

The valving device of the present invention includes a circular sheet of flexible plastic material 30 covering the larger end 31 of a frustoconical member 32. The

frustoconical member, like the cover, is made of flexible plastic sheet material and the smaller end 33 thereof is sealed to the inner side of the inner wall 17 surrounding the orifice 18 therein. The cover 30 is heat sealed to a flat portion 34 at the end of the frustoconical member 32 along areas indicated at 35 in FIG. 3. The areas 35 are not circumferentially continuousand hence spaces 36 exist between the areas of sealing, with the spaces 36 acting as passages for fluid establishing communication between the interior of the frustoconical member 32 and the interior of the bag 11. As the spaces 36 are located circumferentially around the cover member 30, an opening or passageway from the interior of the frustoconical member to the interior of the bag is presented for use regardless of the attitude of the patient.

if desired, the cover may be secured to the flat portion 34 also at spaced points 37 centrally and outwardly located with respect to each passageway 36 with the spot welds 37 assuring a more positive valving action.

As will be realized from the foregoing description, the flexible cover 30 in combination with the flexible flat portion 34 acts as a flap valve permitting unidirectional flow of fluid outwardly of the frustoconical member and into the bag.

I claim:

1. In combination with a urostomy bag having an inner wall secured along its edges to an outer wall to provide a fluid-tight container, apparatus of the character described comprising a retaining member having an opening therein, means for holding the retaining member in place on the body of a patient, said inner wall having an orifice therein surrounding the opening in the retaining member with the edges of said orifice being sealed to a face of the retaining member, a frustoconical member of flexible material having one end surrounding the orifice in sealing relationship thereto, a flexible cover member covering the other end of the frustoconical member, said cover member being sealed to said other end of the frustoconical member at spaced points to provide one-way fluid passages between said points for flow of fluid from said inlet into said contamer.

2. In combination with a urostomy bag haaving an inner wall secured along its edges to an outer wall to provide a fluid-tight container, apparatus of the character described comprising a retaining member having an opening therein, means for holding the retaining mem ber in place on the body of a patient, said innner wall having an orifice therein surrounding the opening in the retaining member with the edges of said orifice being sealed to a face of the retaining member, a frusto' conical member of flexible material having one end surrounding the orifice in sealing relationship thereto, the other end of said frustoconical member terminating in a circular flat portion, a flexible cover member secured to said flat portion at spaced points circumferentially around said circular flat portion to provide one way fluid passages between said points for flow of fluid from said inlet into said container. 

1. In combination with a urostomy bag having an inner wall secured along its edges to an outer wall to provide a fluid-tight container, apparatus of the character described comprising a retaining member having an opening therein, means for holding the retaining member in place on the body of a patient, said inner wall having an orifice therein surrounding the opening in the retaining member with the edges of said orifice being sealed to a face of the retaining member, a frustoconical member of flexible material having one end surrounding the orifice in sealing relationship thereto, a flexible cover member covering the other end of the frustoconical member, said cover member being sealed to said other end of the frustoconical member at spaced points to provide one-way fluid passages between said points for flow of fluid from said inlet into said container.
 2. In combination with a urostomy bag haaving an inner wall secured along its edges to an outer wall to provide a fluid-tight container, apparatus of the character described comprising a retaining member having an opening therein, means for holding the retaining member in place on the body of a patient, said innner wall having an orifice therein surrounding the opening in the retaining member with the edges of said orifice being sealed to a face of the retaining member, a frustoconical member of flexible material having one end surrounding the orifice in sealing relationship thereto, the other end of said frustoconical member terminating in a circular flat portion, a flexible cover member secured to said flat portion at spaced points circumferentially around said circular flat portion to provide one-way fluid passages between said points for flow of fluid from said inlet into said container. 